Storm Hawks: Farside Interferance
by brony757
Summary: What if Cyclonis had been affected more by her interactions with the Storm Hawks and she was de-throned? What if she found herself in the Farside under the care of a major power there? How would all this effect the war between Cyclonia and the rest of Atmos? Find out here.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! This is brony757 here with my second story, this time for Storm Hawks. My fist was for Halo. Check it out! I loved the show when I was younger. I'd always get up early to see the new episodes. Anyways, this will be AU. I will include forces from the Farside of Atmos. They will use crystals, but not too much. And the battles will be more realistic. This is slightly a crossover as the airships for the Farside will be ships from Starship Troopers because I like the looks; they are twice as long as a Cyclonian destroyer. They are the same ship type as the **_**Roger Young**_**. THEY ARE NOT SPACE WORHY! Takes place several weeks after Cyclonis' failed attempt at killing Piper. There will be a pairing, Piper and Cyclonis. Piper and Aerrow will have a more brother/sister relationship. Hope you enjoy. FLAMERS WILL BE INGORED! Constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NO OWN STORM HAWKS OR STARSHIP TROOPERS!**

**Cyclonis POV**

She was standing by her Storm Engine, contemplating her time with Piper and the other Storm Hawks. Despite her outwards appearance of being cold and ruthless, she was hurting slightly on the inside. Her time with them had been more fun than she had had since her childhood. Piper had touched her heart more than any of the others. The few days spent with her allowed Cyclonis to really get to know her.

But that wasn't her biggest concern at the moment. What concerned her now was that her troops _knew _she had changed since being with the Storm Hawks, especially her generals. Ravess seemed to have an idea of what had changed in her. Snipe didn't seem to notice or care much. The Dark Ace noticed the most. Cyclonis always noticed his eyes following her, watching her every move for the changes that were in her behavior.

With each day since her return, he always seemed to notice the changes. She became less cold to her talons, more cheery, if only slightly, and her eyes showed some sadness at the mention of Piper or the Storm Hawks. When he questioned if she was all right, her answer was always, "I am fine." The doubt in his eyes would be there after every answer.

He knew and Cyclonis was afraid for that very reason. She may be powerful with her crystals, but the Dark Ace was smart and had _far_ more experience in battle than she did. She was also afraid of doubt spreading to the other troops. That doubt could be very dangerous and may result in her removal from power if they viewed her as unfit to lead.

There were two however that Cyclonis knew would support her through and through. Ravess and Snipe. They both had questioned her about her changes two days ago. It surprised her and the normal scare tactic to keep her troops in line didn't work and Snipe surprised her by showing he actually wasn't as idiotic as many believed. After hours of pressing, they got the truth from her. She told them everything of her experiences, her feelings during the mission. To her surprise they did support her and confessed that they liked the slight changes in her behavior.

The three of them never noticed their eaves dropper until they tried to leave without being noticed. When they moved to find out who it was, the spy ran and was lost to them in the vast winding corridors of the capital. Ravess and Snipe searched for hours but never found them.

The next day, Cyclonis noticed a difference in how her troops looked at her. The looks were unsettling, many were unreadable, but some had hidden malice in them, probably because they saw her as getting soft. She knew they were right on the money in that regard. Since her time on the _Condor_, Cyclonis had mellowed out.

As she thought this, Ravess came charging through the door to her throne room.

"Master Cyclonis," she cried in urgent, gasping breaths, "You have to leave NOW."

Cyclonis only gave a questioning look at her general. She motioned with her hand to continue, then listened to Ravess with rapt attention.

"There are Talons, lead by the Dark Ace, heading here. The word is that they see you as being too weak hearted to lead Cyclonia to victory. They plan to _remove_ you from power!"

Shock. That was the only look upon her face. Taking a few seconds to gather her thoughts, she nodded and grabbing her staff and some crystals, followed Ravess out. On the way to the hangars, they had to avoid patrols for fear of them giving away their plans for escape. As they were passing an intersection, Ravess stopped and pushed Cylonis back against the wall of the corridor. Cyclonis gave her a questioning look and Ravess only pressed a finger to her lips. She looked around the corner again and they moved on.

They arrived at the hangar to find several Cyclonian troops along with Snipe waiting for them. Cyclonis stopped their, fearing that they had been caught, but Ravess continued moving towards them. She motioned for them to follow and they all moved Ravess' personal flagship. As Cyclonis approached the boarding ramp, she noticed additions to the ship. There were three crystal cannons mounted on the rear of her ship forming triangle in the center.

On the bridge of the airship, the crew reported to their assigned station. Giving Ravess a querying look and nodding towards the crew, she said that they were loyal to her and shared Ravess' and Snipe's views. The docking clamps were removed and the engines powered up. They left the dock at the normal departure speed to avoid suspicion. Things seemedto be going well. They were several hours away from Cyclonia, taking a route that brought them close to the Farside. Many had tried to enter it before, none had ever made it.

They were several hours away from Terra Blizzaris, home of the Absolute Zeros, to land and gather supplies that were forgotten. As the terra came into sight, warning klaxons blared loudly.

A radar operator had a worried look on his face as he turned to the command deck, "Three Cyclonian destroyers closing in from astern Commander!"

Worry soon spread to the rest of the bridge crew, even Cyclonis was nervous. Ravess turned to them and barked orders to charge the rearguns and push the engines as hard as they could to reach the terra. With a nod, the officer turned back to his station and battle klaxons sounded throughout the ship as the crew rushed to positions.

**Suzy Lu POV**

The sight of the approaching Cyclonians, Ravess' flagship no less, worried her and the other Blizzarians deeply. She gathered her team, along with the Storm Hawks who had been visiting, to combat the coming threat. When three more Cyclonian warships came into view, the Sky Knights knew they were in for a ruff fight. What surprised her was that Ravess' flagship seemed to _accelerate_ of all things as if to _get away_ from the Cyclonian ships. That surprise grew into astonishment as the three trailing destroyers had started to _shoot_ at Ravess' ship. She gave the others a look that asked if she was seeing things. With the others too shocked to notice, she turned back to the battle of Ravess' ship fleeing towards Blizzaris with the Cyclonians giving chase.

**Hope you enjoyed it! Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! This is brony757 here with another chapter! Just a heads up: Updates will be when I have time. School and other things come first. To the Farside military, if I am using the ships, might as well use the guns, but those will be E-Pulse 44 rifle from S.T. 2 only crystal powered, the armor, and uniforms. The ships lengths will also be the same size as a Cyclonian Destroyer instead of being twice as long. Anything else must be requested. You can ask for other things from other sources and I will take them into consideration. Also please review and tell me what you think. I crave feed-back, and check out my other story, Halo: UNSC Covenant War. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks or Starship Troopers!**

**Cyclonis POV**

The bridge shuddered with the impact of another crystal blast. Crew members were yelling out damage and casualty reports left and right. An engineer had shouted that engines four and two had gone offline. They couldn't possible outrun the destroyers to Blizzaris now. It was too far, merely a speck in the distance. She started to look over the navigation charts the crew had grabbed before departing.

There wasn't much. All they had was current maps of the Atmos and some older maps from Cyclonia's early rise to power. There just wasn't any terra closer than Blizzaris and they would be dead before they reached it. Seeing that the current maps had nothing, she started to poor over the older ones, while also trying to drown out the sounds of battle. She found no terras close enough where they could land except Blizzaris, and they would be dead before then. She had nearly given up when she had an idea, the wastelands. It would be dangerous, but it was better considering that the alternative was to be shot down and killed. With very little options, and the screams of the klaxons, she continued looking at the map as she ordered the helmsman to change course.

"Helm! Bring your bearing to eighty-three degrees starboard, and thirty degrees downward!"

"But, ma'am. That will bring us into the wastelands. We won't last long in there."

She looked up from the maps and gave him a face that screamed to shut up and do it. He gave a quick glance at Ravess who had come next to her. Cyclonis explained that tthey needed to lose their pursuers and the wastelands was the best place to do it. Ravess was skeptical, but with damaged engines, they wouldn't make it to Blizzaris. Ravess turned to the officer and nodded her head. With one final look at them, he turned back to his station and changed the course.

**Suzy Lu POV**

She was looking through the binoculars, watching as the Cylonian destroyers continued to pound one of their own to pieces. Even though she was far away, the smoke from two of the main engines was clearly visible, trailing behind as she went. During the time she had spent watching the fight, she couldn't fathom why they would shoot at their own ship. It made no sense whatsoever. She was thinking this for several minutes more before Suzy Lu had an idea. _What if the fleeing ship was escaped prisoners or defectors from Cyclonia._ These thoughts and similar ones began to swirl around her head.

Suzy Lu was broken from her train of thought when the fleeing destroyer turned away and dove for the clouds, and the wastelands below. Shock was apparent on everyone's face as only the most brave, stupid, or desperate _ever_ went into the wastelands because they were just that. Nothing but jagged rocks, lava, and monsters were there.

Considering how bad the ship looked, they were definitely desperate enough. They watched as she disappeared beneath the clouds, the three destroyers following close behind. Soon, they were all lost from sight, but the sounds of cannon fire could be heard and explosions seen from below.

**Cyclonis POV**

She had to admit it, their pilot was good. He was expertly dodging and weaving between the rocks, using them to his advantage as they ran from their pursuers. She was still surprised at how their ship could fit into these canyons without…

_-SCREACH-_

…room.

"Sorry," said their pilot, "How long until that entrance," he questioned, never taking his eyes off of the viewport in front.

"Two thousand meters more and we should see it," answered Ravess.

Their only chance had been dashed away as the destroyers stayed with them, even as their pilot tried to lose them. Then, hope returned. The radar officer had detected an entrance to a cave system that led through the mountains that bordered the Farside. They headed straight for it, their options limited as ever.

He gave a nod and concentrated on getting them there alive. Crystal fire from their chasers zoomed by the bridge, colliding with the rocks in front of them. A shot struck the hull and pushed the ship off course. They saw a rocky pillar fast approaching, as did their pilot. He jerked the controls hard in the opposite direction and avoided it by mere inches. Cyclonis released a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

Turning back to the front, the entrance came into view. A cave that looked big enough to fit several destroyers into it..

"There, get us into that cave!"

With a grunt of acknowledgement, he turned the ship towards the entrance and dove through. Rock scraping against metal could be heard as they grazed the entrance. An explosion rocked the ship, signaling that they hadn't lost their pursuers. They turned around corner after corner until they were deep into the cave system.

Their pursuers continued to shoot at them. Cyclonis was surprised that the ship had held on for this long under this level of bombardment. The journey through the caves felt like it had been going on for hours. She was so focused on finding a way out that she nearly missed the radar officer screaming about and exit directly ahead of them. Their pilot pushed the throttle to the max, hoping to coax a little more out of the engines. The light could be seen as they raced towards the exit.

Their ship and the ships of their pursuers burst out of the caves and into the open air. None would see the crews from any of the ships for several months. When the Atmos needed help the most, it would arrive from an unknown power that none had seen before.

**Four Months Later**

Four months. That is how long Lark Cyclonis and the others had been in the Farside, training to rejoin the fight going on in their old home. She had just woken up in her quarters aboard the Coalition warship _Jeremiah A. Benson_. She was a new class of ship, the first of her kind and more were being produced at a tremendous rate, thirty were already in service, her ship included.

The Coalition was an alliance of the many terras in the Farside. They were the largest and most powerful group there, rivaling even Cyclonia in military power. The news that there was another civilization that was in an ongoing war was a shock. They were told of the crimes committed by Cyclonian forces. The entire population, Coalition or not, was furious. An outcry for war spread overnight, but they couldn't due to their infrastructure being nearly destroyed in the last one. They bided their time and prepared to go to war once again.

She had entered the bathroom to begin her "morning ritual". After coming out, she dressed in her duty uniform, the bars on it signifying her as a Flight Lieutenant. When she and the others had arrived, they caused quite a stir in the community of the Farside. It took two weeks to sort everything out and they learned that the reason they were being shot at by the Cyclonian destroyers was that the commanders had been told their ship contained escaped prisoners that were to be executed.

This revealed that the Dark Ace didn't want the Cyclonian military to know she had been overthrown, at least not yet. No doubt he had control now. Making sure that her bed was made, she turned the lights off and exited into the hall, walking along to the bridge to report for duty. She, and many others, had thought about how they would make a living in the new world when they thought to join the Coalition's military. She wasn't happy when they refused to give her a command of her own, but she understood their reasons.

She was inexperienced and didn't know their technology, tactics, or command structure. Like many others, she started at the bottom and moved up, joining flight school to learn how to pilot their ships. Her instructors saw her potential and she graduated third in her class. Her skills were well enough that someone she once commanded had requested her as her ship's pilot.

Walking into the bridge, she saw her commanding officer, Ravess, dressed in coalition uniform reading reports from her crew. Lark found a small sense of ironic at how their roles had been switched around. Giving a small greeting, Lark sat at her station and prepared to leave the dock on her captain's order. Today she returned home, bringing help to a side she never thought she would fight for. The Sky Knights.

"Morning, Cyclonis."

"Morning, Captain. Any news on when the attack is to begin?"

"Yes, but we aren't joining the main movement. Intelligence detected five Cyclonian destroyers heading straight for Terra Blizzaris. We are to take the _Sheridan_ and the _War Horse_ to Blizzaris and help defend the terra alongside the local Sky Knight squadron and the local militia."

With a nod of acknowledgement, she turned back to her station and continued checking her systems. While doing so, her mind wondered to thinking on how Raves had gotten her position. Experience was what the leaders had said, and Lark agreed. Raves had fought in many battles for her when she was still Master Cyclonis, ruler of Terra Cyclonia. That alone, and the fact combat experienced officers were in short supply, guaranteed her position.

"We have been given clearance to leave dock. Ops, release docking clamps. Helm, standby," Ravess' orders broke Lark out of her musings and she readied herself for her first real combat flight. This would be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Chapter 3 is up. Got some spare time and I am using it! This is the arrival of Coalition forces at Blizzaris! Enjoy! P.S. PLEASE REVIEW! I want feedback from you. I crave it.**

**Cyclonis POV**

Ten ships of Coalition design exited from the very cave that the former Cyclonians had arrived through. Seven had headed in the direction of Terra Atmosia while the other three ships broke away and went to Blizzaris. These ships were the _Jeremiah A. Benson_, the _War Horse_, and the _Sheridan_. Onboard the lead ship, the _Benson_, Lark sat at her station. Normally, Coalition pilots would switch the ship to autopilot and relax. Not her. The feel of flying the enormous ship was a feeling she discovered that she loved in her academy days.

She wasn't the only one. Many of the Coalition and Cyclonian pilots gained a liking to each other's small strike craft. Coalition pilots loved the maneuverability of Atmosian Skimmers and Cyclonian pilots liked the durability and speed of Coalition fighters. It wasn't long before Skimmers were being used in both civilian and military branches of society.

Even manufacturing companies were combining Coalition fighter and Cyclonian Skimmer designs and were improving them constantly. The main body was rounded to help with the speed and the wings were a single set, swept back design and not the dual pair, straight design on more modern aircraft. They also gave it Coalition designed engines, weapons, and armor with their symbol, a silver eagle with its wings spread wide, painted on.

They continued along at high speeds, hoping to reach Blizzaris before the Cyclonian forces did. They passed through a group of clouds infront of them when Blizzaris came into view. The snow covered landscape was beautiful, the sunrise giving it a golden look in its light.

As they approached the terra, the civilian channel for communications started to come alive as the locals took notice of the Coalition ships approaching them. Cyclonis let a small smile cross her lips as she brought the _Benson_ in for a landing at, what appeared to be, newly built airship docks. The clamps secured into place as a crowd of civilians, militia, and Sky Night squadrons gathered below. The _War Horse _and the_ Sheridan_ stayed in the air, ready to engeage any foes that dared to attack.

Ravess rose from her command chair and began walking down to the forward boarding ramp, Lark following close behind. They shared a comfortable silence as they walked through the vessel's interior. Each one was wondering in their mind how the Blizzarians and, more importantly, the Sky Knights react to the former Cyclonian's arrival to the field.

Lark's mind began to wonder back to before she left the bridge. She saw a ship that had caused her much trouble in the past when she still ruled Cyclonia. The _Condor_, and by extension the Storm Hawks, was here. She had mentioned this when they left the bridge. Ravess took a few minutes to ponder this new information. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," was her answer.

Seeing it as pointless to think about it further, they continued on. The boarding ramp was in view, an infantry private stood by the entrance waiting for them. When the stopped next to him, the soldier walked out the door and down the line of soldiers standing on either side of the dock, waiting for their captain.

"Attention! Officer on deck," was shouted into the air as the infantrymen brought their rifles to their chests and pointed them downward. Lark and Ravess marched down the line to the end of the precession. As they neared the end, shock, hatred, and fear could be seen on every face there. They reached the end and Ravess turned to the line again.

"At ease."

The line moved as one, their riles came up, pointing skyward and the rifle butts were placed on the ground next to them, their hands at their sides. She turned around and came face to face with the Absolute Zeros and the Storm Hawks.

**Piper POV**

She was hoping today would be easy. No Cyclonians, no Murk Raiders, Sky Sharks or other dangers; just her and her crystal experiments. The ships of unknown design approaching the terra had ruined that. Like everyone else, she was at the docks looking at the ship as she landed. The name of the ship and her registry was displayed proudly on her bow, _001 Jeremiah A. Benson_. Looking at the other ships that had accompanied this one, she saw_ 023 War Horse_ and_ 012 Henry J. Sheridan_. A bulkhead moved inward of the ship and slid sideways allowing a ramp to extend. A group of soldiers marched out in two lines an either side of the dock.

The two lines of troops stopped at the end of the dock and turned to the center. A short wait occurred before another soldier marched down the lines and stepped into line on her right. A shout of attention rang out across the docks before the troopers stood straighter than they had before. Two figures walked down the ramp and the rows of troopers. As they came closer, Piper had utter shock displayed on her face. The entire crowd recognized them instantly: Ravess and Master Cyclonis.

When they reached the end, Ravess turned around yelled a command. In unison, they brought the weapons to rest at their sides. Piper spotted the Zeros and her squadron and joined them at the front. Ravess had just turned around and everyone froze.

**Cyclonis POV**

A deafening silence hung over them as neither side moved. Lark had begun to shift from foot to foot, nervous of the glares being thrown their way. Ravess seemed to notice this. Before they could speak, Suzy Lu beat them to it.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Helping you," replied Ravess. "There is a Cyclonian attack force heading this way, five destroyers strong."

A low murmur spread throughout the crowd as the news was heard. Five destroyers and their squadrons was quite the force. They would have a hard time trying to defend the terra.

Aerrow had a mixture of curiosity and suspicion on his face, "Why tell us if they are your troops?"

Curiosity appeared on Lark's face as she turned to Aerrow, "Didn't you hear? I am no longer in control of Cyclonia. The Dark Ace is. He overthrew me and tried to kill those of us who fled," She turned to look at Suzy Lu, "You probably saw our escape attempt four months ago."

A thoughtful look appeared on her face before recognition sparked in her eyes. She only nodded at Cycolonis. The others took a moment more before they remembered seeing Ravess' destroyer being shot at while fleeing from three Cyclonian destroyers four months back. Curiosity crossed Piper's face as she started to question on where they fled to after they dove beneath the clouds.

Lark and Ravess began to regale the crowd with the tale of their escape and subsequent discovery by Coalition warships on patrol in the area. When they explained further on their decisions and the reactions of the Farside governments, the crowd became more interested in hearing story.

When they finished, questions were asked and answered, one being what the insignias on their uniforms meant, mainly their ranks.

Ravess decided to answer this question, "Mine is that of a captain. I command the warship _Jeremiah A. Benson_."

"What about Cyclonis'," asked Finn. "What is she a "general," he mocked, using air quotes around general.

Lark shook her head in response, "I am the _Benson_'s pilot. Flight Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis, Ravess' subordinate and third in command."

Aerrow looked even more confused, "Shouldn't you be leading Ravess?"

"She tried to get a command," replied Ravess, "But her lacking of experience in combat lead to her current rank. She is however a fine pilot. Graduated third in her class."

Lark nodded in agreement, but felt that she needed to remind them of the reason they were there, "While this is an interesting conversation, we should begin planning for the defense of the terra."

With a nod to her lieutenant, Ravess turned back to Suzy Lu and gestured for her to lead the way. They walked towards the center of town and the Zeros' base, Suzy Lu in the lead. They entered and the doors closed behind them. None would see them for hours until they re-emerged and went their separate ways to prepare for the coming assault on Blizzaris. The Cyclonians would be in for a _big_ surprise when they arrived.


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy!**

**Mat POV**

It has been several hours after the Coalition warships had arrived at Blizzaris. Infantry could be seen moving crates and other supplies moving around in the square of the town. Some were even giving the local militia armor and weapons and teaching them how they worked, how to fix them, and how to use them properly. Transports were moving around town, carrying what they called heavy anti-air cannons to the four corners of the terra.

Mat was one of the few humans on Blizzaris. He and his friends were sitting in the town center, watching as the soldiers moved around. A pair of them was walking toward them, laughing and joking around. Their weapons were strange compared to the ones more commonly found in Atmos. Swords, bows and arrows, crossbows, all of these were common guns weren't.

They took notice of Mat's group and came closer, "Morning kids," one spoke in a weird accent, "Having a good day?"

"Yes," said Katy, a local Blizzarian and daughter of the terra's mayor. She was the youngest of them at nearly seven years old, with Mat being second oldest at eleven.

"What are those," asked Mat pointing at the weapons.

The one on the right gave a small chuckle before answering, "This here is an E-Pulse 44. They were made quite some time ago and have been serving us faithfully since. Each comes with an under mounted grenade launcher. The ROF is not as fast as other weapons we used in the past, but they make up for it enough."

"What's ROF?"

"It means rate of fire, how fast the weapons shoot," answered the first in that weird accent of his. Katy asked him about it and he only said that he got it from his home terra.

"Wakowski! Petrov!"

Both soldiers straightened up immediately. Another soldier was marching their way, and she looked _mad_. Wakowski and Petrov started to wisper to one another, questioning if they should run. Thinking better of it, they straightened up and waited for the woman to arrive. She marched right in front of the two of them and gave them a glare.

"Why is it that you two are goofing around when everyone else is preparing for the assault," she questioned in a stern voice.

"We were just answering these kids' questions Sergeant," answered Petrov, nodding in their direction.

The sergeant glanced in their direction before turning her attention back to the two of them. Mat and his friends watched the spectacle unfold, some giving small giggles.

"Well, if you're done playing Twenty-Questions, then get back to work."

They gave a quick salute and rushed past her to do whatever it was they would do. The sergeant turned to them, wished them a good day, and left to continue her duties. Deciding that the show was over, the group of friends went back to watching the soldiers continue with their tasks.

**Lark Cyclonis POV**

She was having a bad day. Ravess had asked her to give the Storm Hawks a tour of the ship which included the engine room, hangar bay, mess hall, and finally the bridge. The Sky Knights would be aboard the ship when the attack commenced to help out with their more inexperienced pilots, which was the majority of their fighting force. The plan was to have the Infantry on the terra incase the Cyclonians managed to get troops on the ground. The Zeros would help their as well. Since they would be onboard for the time being Ravess thought they should familiarize themselves with the ship's layout.

Finn tried to touch everything in sight wanting to "see what it did." She was sure he would drive her insane. Junko had been the quietest of the group, asking a question occasionally when something caught his eye. Aerrow just seemed to take it all in and looked impressed with the _Benson_'s design. She was designed for transporting large amounts of troops and supplies to areas of battle. Despite being designed mainly for transport, she still had teeth and she was fast. Piper asked mainly about Coalition technology and culture. Lark explained what she could, but she only spent four months among them and still didn't know everything, only the more common details.

They had arrived at the bridge and Lark started to explain the different stations and what their jobs were. After doing so, Lark took her station at the helm and began the pre-flight checklist. She noticed Piper looking her way but paid her no mind and continued her work. As she did, Lark went over the plan in her mind.

The Cyclonian ships didn't know they were there, but the entire terra knew _they_ were coming. The plan was to hide the ships in the clouds, under their radar. When the ships were right on top of them, their dorsal cannons would fire at the destroyers from below at point-blank range. Afterwards, the Skimmers would launch and engage the Cyclonian complement. The ships would then rise up and engage any remaining Cyclonian ships still able to fight and either disable or destroy them.

Ravess soon came through the door, giving a greeting nod to Lark, who returned it, and sat into her command chair. Stations started to call in their status as they completed their checks one-by-one. Lark waited for her navigator to give his status before she went.

"Navigation is ready, ma'am."

"Helm is ready for departure, Captain."

With an acknowledging nod, Ravess tapped command into her console and announced their lifting off. She clicked the speakers off and turned to Lark. The Storm Hawks watched in curiosity as the bridge crew readied to leave.

"Helm, signal docking control and request permission to launch," ordered Ravess.

"Aye Captain," she tapped a few switches on her station and started to speak, "Docking control, this is the Coalition warship _Jeremiah A. Benson_. We are requesting permission to depart."

"Rodger that _Benson_, clamps are released and your flight path is cleared. Good hunting."

"Copy control, _Benson_ out," she closed the channel and with a small "Depart" from Ravess, she tugged the control handles towards her slowly. The ship shook slightly as the engines came to life and pulled the ship from the docks. Civilians could be seen watching the ship leave. When they were several meters away from the docks end, Lark turned the control to her right and the ship mimicked her movements.

The Storm Hawks watched as Lark moved with expert precision in piloting the large craft. She straightened out the control column and pushed it forward slightly, the ship obeying her commands. A console on the left of the bridge lit up and showed the locations of the other two Coalition ships, the_ War Horse_ and the _Henry J. Sheridan_. Ravess ordered them to be brought into formation and dive below the clouds. With the warships in position, Skimmers ready to launch, and infantry ready to fight, they would give the Cyclonians a nasty surprise.

**Review please and hope you enjoyed it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Chapter 5 is up. Read and review. Please?**

**Lark POV**

The waiting was the worst part of any ambush in Lark's opinion, and she was sure everyone else would agree. She was at her station, waiting for the Cyclonian fleet to arrive and fall into the trap. She had a book that she bought before her departure from the Farside and was now just passing the time. Lark was almost completely engrossed in her book that she nearly forgot Piper at the radar station directly to her front.

She was asked to be here by Ravess as the strategies and coordination skills exhibited by Piper were well know in the Farside. While Lark looked at her, she couldn't help but notice her beauty. Her blue hair, amber eyes when she saw them and blue crystal necklace gave Piper a look that made Lark…

She shook her head to clear the thoughts. _What am I thinking?_ This was the next thought that echoed inside her mind. Looking back, she saw Piper glance at her with a questioning look. Lark buried herself into her book again knowing that she had been caught staring. She felt a blush work its way up her face. Peeking over the book again, she saw that Piper had turned away from Lark and back to her station.

She let out a small breath and returned to the book. She didn't get to enjoy it for long as the radar console began to beep rapidly, signaling the approach of unknown signatures. Piper soon got up as the normal duty officer approached. Piper turned and moved to stand just beside Ravess' command chair, just behind Lark.

Ravess walked onto the bridge and demanded a report of the situation. The radar office turned to her and informed her that the approaching signatures were the Cyclonian fleet and they were heading right into the kill zone. Ravess ordered everyone to report to their stations and alarm klaxons echoed throughout the ship. Weapons had locked onto the enemy ships and were now waiting for the order to spring the trap. They all watched as the destroyers inched ever closer into the trap. They entered it and Ravess waited until they were right into the middle before giving her order.

"Fire!"

**Suzy Lu POV**

She and the others watched as the Cyclonian ships came ever closer to them. Some of them began to wonder why the Coalition warships hadn't started to shoot yet. A Coalition soldier with them opened his mouth to answer when an explosion occurred, from the bottom of one of the destroyers. Several more occurred as the Coalition ships started to shoot at the Cyclonian warships.

They veered away from the sudden danger, their hulls smoking as they did. The shapes of the _Benson_, _War Horse_, and _Sheridan_ appeared in the clouds as they rose and finally burst through them. One of the ships,the _Benson_ pointed what looked to be broadside cannons to bear on the hostile vessels. She began to fire on a destroyer at point-blank range. Mighty explosions seemed to shake the very hull of the ship. Under the punishment of the _Benson_'s side guns, the Cyclonian destroyer succumbed to the assault when a shot hit near the engines. The explosions started at the rear of the ship and moved forward as volatile weapons crystals detonated and tore the ship apart from the inside out.

The husk of the ounce great ship tumbled down into the wastelands below. Skimmers of Coalition design could be seen launching like hornets from their nests. They swarmed the Talons of the Cyclonian forces, the sounds of the air battles being heard all the way at the terra. A single destroyer had received little damage in comparison to its sisters, but still trailed smoke from her damaged engines, and sped to the terra to deploy ground forces and take Blizzaris.

Coalition heavy anti-air guns turned to the approaching threat and opened fire. The sounds of the guns weren't that of a crystal blast, but more of an explosion. She turned to the nearest gun and saw pieces of metal being spat out from the weapon through ports on its sides. Yellow rounds streaked towards the destroyer and impacted with small explosions. The armor seemed to do its job as the destroyer continued on its course unhindered by the weapon. She turned away from it and rushed with the others of her group to the docks to keep the Cyclonians at bay.

**Piper POV**

The ship shook as another enemy crystal round struck the ship's armored hull. Cyclonis was fighting to maintain control of the ship as the vessel continued to take a beating from their enemy. The retorts of the _Benson_'s cannons echoed throughout the ship as she returned fire on her adversary. The other ship was covered in scars from the ambush and was receiving many more from the _Benson_.

"Lieutenant, dive us under her and bring us up from behind," barked Ravess with authority.

"Aye Captain," answered Cyclonis as she twisted the controls, bringing the ship under the destroyer. The ships cannons stopped firing at the _Benson_ as they couldn't reach her. The _Benson_ had no problems with this as her dorsal cannons dealt more damage to them. Ravess ordered the guns to hold fire and to reload as they started to come up.

The warship was now behind the Cyclonian ship with port-side cannons loaded and aimed at the Cyclonian ship. With a roar of "Fire" by Ravess, the gunnery crews unloaded death and destruction of their foes, the sounds of cannon fire and the sights of the explosions on her hull gave Piper a small chill down her spine. She had been in combat before but nothing this brutal or devastating. Like her other sister before her, the Cyclonian warship exploded and her husk fell to the waiting wastelands below.

"Enemy ship destroyed ma'am," shouted the radar officer. "The _Sheridan_ has destroyed her target but the _War Horse_ has reported that her target had gotten a lucky shot in and took out her weapons. She is retreating from battle as well as the Cyclonian Destriyer."

Piper was about to ask why the Cyclonian ship was leaving when she caught sight of it. The _War Horse_ may have not destroyed her, but she put her through the grinder. Holes could be seen dotting her hull, armor mangled and blackened from cannon fire. Fires were all over her and she was leaving a trail of black smoke as she fled the battle. That left one more Cyclonian destroyer still able to fight.

**Mat POV**

He and his friends were on the roof of his home, watching the battle as it progressed. The Cyclonian soldiers that had been dropped off by their ship had already been dispatched. Their weapons were nothing to laugh at as they did take down a number of Infantry and militia, but they were hopelessly out numbered. Those who didn't fall in the battle surrendered soon after.

He turned his eyes back to the sky as the fight started to come to a close. While the Coalition ships had been out numbered at the start of the battle, the trap they laid and its success cut down the Cyclonian forces and gave their new allies the edge they needed. As they continued to watch, they saw one warship, the _Jeremiah A. Benson_, dive below a destroyer and come up from behind. They saw _Benson _utterly annihilate the destroyers as the crystal rounds destroyed the enemy ship. Looking around, the saw another Coalition ship and a Cyclonian ship both limping away from the battle, smoke and scorch marks dotting their hulls.

The only ships left was the final Cyclonian ship, still docked, and the _Benson_ with her sister ship, the _Sheridan_. They watched as the two mighty ships approached the Cyclonian vessel unopposed. The Skimmers started to land as their enemies had either fled or died in the aerial battle. Now they waited and watched as the Coalition ships came to a halt right behind the sole enemy vessel and pointed their forward guns at her. A silence settled onto the terra, the sounds of the blowing wind being the only thing heard.

**Cyclonian Destroyer Captain POV**

This was supposed to be an easy victory for them. They had the Blizzarians out matched and out gunned. Then these _unknowns_ come in out of nowhere and started to blast his ships to pieces. He was ordered by his superior to unload his troop complement while they dealt new hostiles. He was now sitting on a dock, his engines damaged from the ambush, and watched helplessly as his fellows died, surrendered, or fled.

Now he had two enemy ships behind him and was waiting for them to shoot his ship to pieces. The minutes ticked by as nothing happened. Then his communications officer shouted for him. As he approached, he could hear the words of a message, probably from the enemy ships.

_"To the Cyclonian warship docked at the Blizzaris shipyards. This is Ravess, commander of the Coalition warship _Jeremiah A. Benson_. You are ordered to lay down your weapons, shut down all power systems, and surrender you vessel. Fail to comply and we will destroy your ship. You have one minute to respond."_

The captain was shocked at hearing the name of Ravess, one of Cyclonia's _best _commanders_,_ order his surrender. He would have pondered further, but the reminder of two warships behind his brought him back to reality. He thought about his options for several seconds.

Not seeing any alternative, he turned to his communications officer, "Signal the enemy ship. Tell them… we surrender."

**The Battle of Blizzaris is OVER! More battles yet waits for our heroes in the future. I hope you enjoyed it! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! It is brony757 here with Chapter 6. This will feature an episode from the show, slightly modified to fit the story, Talon Academy! Also, the ship type for the Benson was called a corvette type, but seeing as they are the Coalition's only ship type, I'll call them **_**Jeremiah A. Benson**_** class as the name of the first class of ship is usually the class name. Example: Nimitz class carriers have the U.S.S. Nimitz. This will be a long one. As always, please review. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN STORM HAWKS OR STARSHIP TROOPERS!**

**Lark POV**

It has been several months since the Battle of Blizzaris. The _Benson_ and the _Condor_ had been traveling together on patrol near the borders of Cyclonian territory, on the lookout for anymore attacks. They were currently fighting a patrol from Cyclonian territory, and if she had one thing to say about Cyclonians, they had numbers, but the Coalition and the Free Atmos had superior training and skills.

Not all the battle had gone in the Coalition's favor, however. Some had been utter failures or were Coalition victories that ended with heavy casualties and damage. One was the battle of Terra Amazonia. A small patrol had picked up a distress call from the terra and responded immediately. When they arrived, two villages were destroyed and there was a massive ground and air battle underway. The fleet deployed Infantry to the villages to help defend them from the Cyclonians while the patrol engaged the enemy destroyers and Talons. The battle ended with heavy casualties for the infantry and the fleet. The _Jeremiah A._ _Benson-Class_ ships _Heaven's Might_ and _Shield of Peace_ were destroyed with all hands lost and the _Marcus Hathaway_ was damaged beyond repair. She was later scrapped, having been picked clean of anything salvageable. Only the _Night Watcher_ escaped with moderate damage.

The ships were easily replaced with the full economic and industrial might of the Coalition and its allies. They had sent in another ten ships, full crewed and ready for battle, some time ago and another five were almost done in the ship yards. It amazed her how fast the coalition could build them. The hard part was training the soldiers and naval personnel to crew the ships. That didn't stop them from trying.

She was on the bridge, bringing the ship around for another pass at the Cyclonian destroyer that accompanied the squadron of Talons. As she did, Lark had a clear view of the gun crews' handiwork. There were holes in the armor of the once proud ship. While they may be the enemy, she had to admit that they also had some good armor. Not as good as Coalition armor, but close enough. Their ship weapons weren't anything to sniff at either. They could do damage if they hit a target. The downside of Cyclonian weapons was their inaccuracy. Most shot came close to the target, but some went very wide.

She pushed the throttle of the engines forward and charged toward the ship. They passed right by her, the cannons of both ships trading blows as they did. An alarm sounded at the ops station, indicating that the armor had been breached somewhere. She paid it little mind and returned her focus to flying the ship.

The destroyer hit the _Benson_ several more times before her engines cut out and she began to fall. The crew could be seen abandoning ship and deploying parachutes after jumping out. They were picked up by rescue ships and handed over to a prison ship that had arrived shortly after.

Lark's shift ended and she turned the controls over to her shift change as she started down the corridor to the officer's briefing room. Just before her duty shift ended she had gotten a call from Ravess to attend as soon as her shift ended. Ravess had cut the call before she even got to ask what it was about.

She continued to ponder this until she arrived at the door. Upon entering, she saw Aerrow, Finn, Junko, Stork, Radar, Piper and Ravess all sitting around a table looking at a poster in the center. She quickly joined them and gave a small nod in greeting.

They returned the gesture and the meeting began, "What was so urgent that it had to be called just after my duty shift," asked Ravess with some annoyance in her voice.

Piper began to explain the situation. The Cyclonians were putting up propaganda posters all over and tricking kids and teens into joining the talons. She also explained how they found out, by saving a Cyclonian pilot whose chute had failed to open. To say Lark was angry would be a major understatement. She, along with every other Coalition soldier, hated child soldiers. They view them as wrong and the lowest way to fight a war. This was even viewed as a very serious crime in Coalition territory and any found practicing it was punished severely.

The decision was instantly unanimous; they had to shut down the academy. The only question was how to do it. A full assault was out of the question as the threat of killing the children was too high. That left very few options to use. Piper eventually came up with the idea of bringing it down from the inside. They would disguise themselves and join the academy as cadets while really trying to find a way to bring it down for good.

It was decided that Lark, Piper, Radarr, and Aerrow would join the academy. An officer that knew Coalition frequencies would be useful to call them in when they were needed, Piper knew how to make plans on the fly, and Aerrow was very proficient in combat. They would make a good team.

**Two days later**

The ship they were on had just departed as it dropped them off at the front gate of the academy. Aerrow and Piper were easily disguised by the Chroma Crystals. The only difference with them was their hair color. Lark looked like she did when she tricked the Storm Hawks and gained a friend. _Mayb something more_ echoed in her head. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, Lark joined the others in line. They waited in line with the other cadets as their Drill Instructor gave them a small speech on how "glory and fame" awaited them in the "service" of the Cyclonian Empire. After the speech they each received a nickname: Aerrow was Barrel, Radar was Monkey, Piper was giggles, and she was named Blondie.

They "trained" for the next few days, if that was what they called this torture. If Lark had wanted to do this much running then she would have joined the Infantry instead. She and Piper were merely trying to blend in while Aerrow and Radarr caused mayhem by tampering with the D.I.'s ride, playing pranks, and once had been caught "teaching an old dog new tricks."

She and Piper were sneaking around one day when they heard an instructor talking on the radio about an invasion of Terra Tranqua. Piper and her exchanged a glance before trying to sneak away only to be caught. When asked if they were lost, Piper stuttered somewhat before saying they were looking for the kitchen. They found it alright, with orders to help cook the dinner.

Lark gave Piper a look before saying, "Why couldn't you have said the library?"

Piper only groaned and shook her head in an answer before two pairs of gloves were tossed onto the counter next to them.

"You'll want to wear these, or else your hands will get torn up."

They looked to the direction of the voice and saw the girl that Piper saved when her chute had failed, Lynn. Piper and Lark shared a look and got to work helping the girl. They talked once-in-a-while and she mentioned that she wanted a rematch with the Storm Hawks.

They continued to gain the girl's trust over the next several weeks and became fast friends with her. It was when they had finished running one day that they decided to confide in her their identities.

The three girls grunted with effort as they lowered the bags to the ground, complaining about the weight, "We must have run twenty miles with this gear."

"Beats wrangling Scoats," answered Lynn. "That's what we'd be doing back on my terra."

Lark gave Lynn a questioning look, "But don't you ever think about what you'll have to do as a Talon. Do you really want to harm innocent people?"

Lynn shook her head, "No but I have no choice now."

Lark gave Piper a look. She saw it and turned back to Lynn, "What if I told you that you did."

She gained a curious look on her face, "I'm listening."

Piper then told Lynn her true identity and telling Lynn about how she was the one that had saved her. Lynn gained a shocked look, but after thinking for a while, gave the two girls a small smile. Little did they know that they had been over heard by Top Dog.

"Heh heh, Storm Hawk spy." He turned to their Drill Instructor before shouting, "Sarge! Sarge!"

He had gained the entire groups attention when he did. They all had a questioning look on their faces as they stared at him wondering why he had yelled for him.

"She's Piper from the Storm Hawks," he said and turned to the three of them, "I heard her say it!"

Piper tried to cover it up as a misunderstanding. The instructor didn't buy it for a second. He moved towards them, weapon in hand. He didn't get very far. Lark stepped in front of Piper and drew her hidden E-Pulse pistol from behind her.

"Don't come any closer," she spoke in a calm voice.

Seeing that they had been discovered Aerrow walked up behind them with Radarr on his shoulder and dropped the Chroma Crystal that they used to hid. The entire group, except for Lynn, gasped at the sight of it. Four flashes appeared before they dimmed, revealing Lark, Piper, Aerrow, and Radarr in their true uniforms.

What really got the cadets wasn't Piper, Aerrow, or Radarr, but Lark. They instantly recognized her and started to buzz with curiosity and confusion at seeing "Master Cyclonis" in a Coalition Navy uniform. Aerrow began to give a speech on the true tasks that they would be committing if they continued to support Cyclonia. He told them of the invasion of the defenseless Terra Tranqua.

"My cousin lives there," said one cadet.

"And don't you think that he would be better off being ruled by Cyclonia," asked the instructor, still held at gunpoint by Lark.

"No," answered Lynn, "Down with Cyclonia!"

The cry soon spread throughout the entire group as they joined in. While the cadets started to tackle and wail on the poor instructor one cadet ran back inside. Piper and Lark recognized who it was and ran to catch up. They found him in the radio room, calling for help from Cyclonia Command. When he saw them he knew that he was in for a world of pain.

They had just thrown him into a cage when they cadets threw in their tied up instructor. He landed right on top of Top Dog. The cadets started to cheer and congratulate each other on their victory when it was cut short, by Piper. She told everyone of the incoming "Elite" Talons. The excitement and joy instantly deflated into shock and worry.

It didn't last long as Aerrow rallied the cadets and they started to prepare for the coming fight. What little time they had was used to gather "armor", "weapons" and readying themselves fight mentally. They were now all lined up at the launch ramp, just waiting for them to come.

They didn't have to wait long, "Talons incoming," shouted Piper.

Aerrow turned back to the others, "This is it, you all know what to do," he turned back to face the coming onslaught, "Time to shut this place down for good. Fight Cyclonia!"

"Fight Cyclonia!"

The cheer rang across the field. They rode their Skimmers off of the ramp and took off into the sky. The Talons were waiting for them. With a single gesture from their commander, the battle commences. The cadets may have had on lethal weapons, but they still downed several enemy craft. Some, like Lynn and Aerrow, even played Chicken with them and when they turned away those enemies crashed into their fellows.

It wasn't long before the superior numbers of the Talons corralled them into a corner. As they moved in, Lynn took a long look at their numbers and knew they couldn't win this.

Piper saw this and looked at everyone there,"Don't worry. We didn't plan on beating all of them."

"Then what are we doing," demanded Lynn.

Aerrow leaned back on his Skimmer, "Stalling."

Lynn was even more confused than ever now. She turned back to the Talons and saw was unsettling. The Talons surrounded them in a semicircle, laughing in at their defeat. The cadets all looked at Aerrow, who only flashed them a smirk before turning back to the Talons.

What happened next wasn't anything anyone expected. An airship horn sounded off behind them. The Talons stopped laughing and showed shock on their faces. The cadets looked behinds them and were shocked to see the _Condor_ and another ship. She was none other than Lark's ship, the _Jeremiah A. Benson_.

The Talons panicked and tried to fly away only to be destroyed by both ships' heavy cannons. Many fell in the opening volley and others followed soon after. One Talon gained control of himself long enough to call for a retreat. As they did, two skimmers could be seen leaving the former academy.

With shock still on their faces, the cadets followed the two Sky Knights and Lark onto the _Benson_ for some well earned rest. As soon as they landed, a trooper ran up saying that the captain wanted to see them. With a nod they all headed towards the Bridge. As they walked, the cadets looked around the pristine, grey corridors of the warship. When they entered the Bridge, they were shocked again at who was sitting there.

Ravess looked up from a data pad she was looking at to see tat they had arrived. She placed it down and stood up. Lark gave her a salute, which Ravess returned.

"Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis and company reporting as ordered ma'am."

Ravess gave Lark a small smile, "Good to have you back, Lieutenant. Take you station."

With a nod, Lark walked to her station and relieved the current pilot. The cadets had confusion written all over their faces. They looked to Ravess for answers. Seeing this, she delved into their tale of their escape and finding of the Coalition. The cadets listened to her with rapt attention. When she finished, she asked where each of them lived and had Lark set courses to each terra to take them home.

After they had dropped off all the others, Lynn was the only one left. She was standing by Lark, watching as she piloted the mighty craft into dock at her home terra. With the ship now docked and powered down, Lark, Piper, and Ravess escorted Lynn down to the forward boarding ramp to meet the crowd there.

When they reached the end of the ramp, Ravess began to call out for Lynn's parents. Two individual separated themselves from the group. When Lynn saw them she broke out into a dead run towards them. They had shock on their faces at seeing their little girl, no doubt that they thought they wouldn't see her for a while.

With a nod of approval, Ravess and the others gave Lynn a quick good-bye before re-entering the _Benson_. As they did, Lark couldn't help but notice how the light of the sunset seemed to make Piper even more beautiful. She shook her head to clear the thoughts and kept wondering what was wrong with her, why she kept having these thoughts. It took her mere seconds to finally put the pieces together; she was in love with Piper.

This wasn't something she had expected. The more she thought, the more it made sense: her staring the blushes, the thoughts, it all pointed to her liking Piper. Lark saw that she was lagging behind and she ran to catch up with them. They came to an intersection where the crew quarters and guest quarters branched off. Piper gave them both a small good-bye and went to her assigned quarters for her stay.

Lark looked at her with a small look of sadness at seeing her go. She watch until Piper had turned the corner and then turned away, only to turn right into the face of a smirking Ravess. Lark looked at her with a questioning glance before Ravess gestures down a corridor, the same one that Piper left through. Her eyes widened. She had been caught staring at Piper again, this time by Ravess. A blush worked its way up her face.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Ravess beat her to it, "So, you like our temporary resident Storm Hawk?"

Lark's blush intensified rather quickly making her head look like a tomato. Ravess only smirked before giving a gesture of silence. That gave Lark some relief as Ravess wouldn't tell anyone. With one final glance at Ravess, Lark fast walked down the corridor and didn't stop until she was in her quarters. She let loose a large breath and tried to get the thoughts of Pipe rout of her head as she dressed into her night clothes. As she drifted off into sleep, thoughts of the young Sky Knight wondered into her head again. Lark slept very well that night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello to all my readers out there. Chapter 7 is HERE! Review and Enjoy!**

**Piper POV**

Piper was scared, more than she had ever been before. She, Aerrow, and Radarr were sneaking around inside of a Phoenix's nest. She began to question her sanity as they crept through it, the sounds of their footsteps echoing lightly off the cave walls. A snapping sound was heard behind her and echoed in the nest. She turned and saw Radarr, a broken bone beneath his foot.

"Radarr, quiet."

"Piper, why are we whispering," asked Aerrow as he continued walking.

Piper gave him an exasperated look before answering, "Aerrow this is a Phoenix nest. You know what a Phoenix is, right?"

He turned to her and gave a small grin, "Sure. It's a birdie," he said humorously.

"It's more than just a bird," she whispered harshly, "It's a very _big_ bird and it's usually on _fire_!"

"Well it's also not here…" he paused as he looked at a small glow coming from ahead of them. They moved closer and saw what they were there for, a Phoenix crystal.

"…Which means score one fire blasting Phoenix crystal for the Storm Hawks," he said no longer whispering.

She watched as Aerrow picked up the crystal from its resting place. She reminded him that the crystal and the Phoenix were linked together. As Piper was reminding him that they had to be careful, she was cut off when a hooked cord grabbed the crystal and pulled it out of Aerrow's hands. She and Aerrow turned to where the cord land to see the last person that they expected. He just chuckled at them, holding the crystal that they were there for.

"Dark Ace," exclaimed Aerrow, hatred clear in his voice.

**Dark Ace POV**

He watched from afar as they descended into the cave, never knowing that he was watching. When they were out of sight, he landed his Switchblade Elite and followed them in. They didn't notice him following them as they ventured deeper into the nest. Aerrow's co-pilot stepped onto a bone, breaking it.

He hid behind a rock before they spotted him. While he may be good, there wasn't any need to alert them to his presence, _yet_. Peeking around the corner, he saw them continue and followed. He noticed a small glow coming from the end of the cavern and so did the Storm Hawks.

Aerrow had just picked up the crystal and was admiring it when he threw a hooked cable at them, snagging the crystal and bringing it into his own possession. They turned to him and shock was apparent on their faces as they spotted him. He gave a small chuckle of satisfaction.

"Dark Ace."

"Aerrow, so nice to steal from you again."

A growling sound was heard from behind him, peering down, he saw Radarr just as he was bitten by him. Yelling in surprise, he threw the crystal into the air. Aerrow dove and caught it before it hit the ground. Then came the sound none of them wanted to hear, a Phoenix cry.

Looking at where it came from, they saw the magnificent bird swooping down from a hole in the ceiling and landing in front of them. The giant bird glared at Aerrow, who was holding the crystal. Piper was too transfixed at the bird to notice Aerrow throwing the crystal to the Dark Ace, who threw it to her.

She caught the crystal in her hands before realizing what she had, "Don't give it to me!"

**Piper POV**

The Bird gave a screech and charged at her. They all ran towards the exit, the Phoenix hot on their heels. As they ran, Piper wondered why she was even _carrying_ it. As hard as she could, Piper tossed the crystal far behind her. Aerrow saw it and caught the crystal just before it went over his head. Piper kept running, not looking back. When she and the others exited the nest, they saw the Dark Ace already on his Skimmer.

"I'll collect the crystal from your charred remains," he said before diving off the cliff and flying away from danger.

Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper hopped onto their Skimmers and, like the Dark Ace, dived off. The Phoenix dove off with them, still trying to get its crystal back. The mighty bird followed until the landed, right into a lake. Being a bird of fire, it flew away from the water, thinking that its crystal was now resting at the lake's bottom. How wrong it was. Two Skimmers burst out of the water and crashed on the other side of several bushes in a heap. Their riders coughed and gasped in the fresh air after their little _swim_.

"That was… pretty cool," said Aerrow.

Both heard a small whine coming from a few feet ahead of them. They both turned and nearly laughed at the sight of Radarr lying in an imprint of himself. He raised his head and looked around in a daze. When his vision cleared, his head snapped in the direction of something on the ground.

It was the Phoenix crystal.

He hopped out of the ground and rushed over to get their prize when he stopped short. He watched as a man in tan pants, brown jacket, and golden armor pick up the crystal. He started to speak about how it was "exactly what they needed."

Aerrow and Piper walked up to stand beside Radarr, "Uh… hello," asked Aerrow.

The man and his fellows parked nearby all turned and looked at them with mocking glances. The man, now identified as a member of the Rex Guardians, started to insult their appearances and gear, not seeming to notice. Aerrow asked for their crystal back, mentioning nearly being burned to a crisp.

"Then it is much too dangerous to be kept by children. It will be taken to Terra Rex."

"Hold on, that's not fair," argued Aerrow, only to be silenced by the Guardians drawing their swords.

It wasn't long before the Junko and Finn arrived, weapons trained on the other squadron. Piper, being more sensible about the situation, tried to calm everyone down and stop the fight before it came to blows.

Aerrow, having had remembered a lesson that Lark and Ravess had given the Storm Hawks, turned directly at the Guardians, "Fine. According to the Code the crystal is yours. Therefore, I challenge you for it."

Finn gave Aerrow a confused look before asking what he meant by a "code". Piper looked at Finn with an exasperated expression on her face.

"Remember that lesson Lark gave us the last time we were on the _Benson_?"

"Nope," he answered.

Aerrow looked at Finn, "I did." He turned back to the Guardians, "Do you except?"

They considered it for several seconds before agreeing, asking the Storm Hawks to follow them back to the terra. After they returned to the _Condor_, they had Stork change course and follow.

It took several hours before the terra was in sight. On the way, they did some more research on the Guardians, their Code, and their history. They were all surprised that the Code hadn't been changed in over five hundred years. They turned to the squadron and watched as they flew in perfect formation towards the terra. When they were closer, they saw an airstrip full of citizens cheering for their squadron's return.

As they neared, a communication came over the radio. Aerrow moved over and answered it. His face contorted to surprise and then a small smile settled as he hung up the receiver. He walked back to the group and stood in front of the window watching as they came closer to the landing strip.

Once they set down, the Storm Hawks exited their ship and leaned against one of its landing gear as they watched Harrier signing autographs in books and on action figures. Finn notices the little figurines and complained on why they didn't have any. The crowd stopped cheering and watched as an unfamiliar Skimmer approached the terra. Unfamiliar to the citizen's of Terra Rex at least. The Storm Hawks recognized it as a Coalition Recon Skimmer.

The Recon Skimmers were lightly armored and had fewer armaments compared to the more numerous Attack Skimmers. While they lacked armor and fire power, they made up for it with incredible speed. Even Aerrow had a hard time keeping up with one even with a Velocity Crystal to give him a boost. The Storm Hawks had even asked for sets of the Recon Skimmer's engine types to outfit their own with, which the Coalition happily obliged them and many other squadrons. Only the Rex Guardians couldn't be reached for some reason.

As they approached, features became more distinguishable. She was female, as apparent from her slimmer figure, and was dressed in a Fleet uniform with a full-face helmet adorning her head. She landed and stopped in front of the Storm Hawks, dismounted her bike, and approached. She removed the head gear, revealing their unexpected guest to be none other than Lark Cyclonis.

"Piper, Aerrow," she greeted. Turning to the rest of the squadron, she did the same. Piper ran up and hugged her friend, causing Lark to blush at the contact. This went unnoticed by most, but Aerrow saw it clearly. He shrugged and filed the information away for later. The others began to greet her in turn.

"Why are you here," asked Piper, "I thought you would be on the _Benson_."

"Yeah, and how did you even know we were here," asked Finn.

Lark delved into how her ship had been badly damaged in a skirmish with Murk Raiders and left at a repair dock on Terra Atmosia. The crew had been given the next three months off and when she heard that the Storm Hawks were in the area, she decided to visit. They played catch up for several minutes, not even noticing the Rex Guardians moving closer to meet their newest guest. Harrier cleared his throat to gain their attention. They turned and gave apologetic smiles at seeing the other squadron.

"And who might this be," asked Harrier, still annoyed at being ignored.

Piper placed her arm around Lark's shoulder before speaking, "This is Lark. She is a lieutenant in the Coalition's navy."

"Hm," he turned to her and took his first good look at Lark. Recognition flashed across his face. Anger soon replaced it as he narrowed his eyes dangerously at Lark. Drawing his weapon, he activated it. Its golden blade was pointed at Lark's neck as shock and confusion ran through the crowd at the actions of the Sky Knight.

"Harrier! What are you doing," screamed the only female of the squadron.

"Don't you recognize her," demanded Harrier. "This is _Master Cyclonis_, leader of the Cyclonian Empire!"

Shock quickly spread throughout the crowd at the revelation. None had expected the _leader_ of their enemy to come to them.

"I no longer rule Cyclonia," Lark said above the murmur.

Everyone, except the Storm Hawks, stopped and starred at her with varying emotions on their faces. Some had confusion, some disbelief, the rest had a little of both. Some in the crowd had shouted for her to explain. Others didn't want to hear what she had to say. Lark continued and explained her story regardless. The crowd listened as she told of how they fled from Cyclonia, the chase, and the finding of the Coalition. She even went on to explain how the Coalition reacted to news of Cyclonia's atrocities and their reactions. Many were shocked that another power had cared about their war. During the tale, Harrier had lowered his weapon in shock at what he heard.

When she finished, Lark stood and waited. None moved as they contemplated what they had heard. Some still had suspicion and mistrust on their faces, clearly not truly believing her. It was understand able as she did lead Cyclonia and some would find it hard that she was dethroned just like that. Harrier seemed to accept it, but he still had some suspicion in his eyes.

"Well, then. Would you care to join us for dinner tonight," questioned Harrier.

Lark only nodded and followed them to their guest rooms. Later that night, the Guardians were standing at on one side of a long dinner table, their uniforms freshly cleaned. A guardsman announced the arrival of the Storm Hawks. It was less than glamorous. Finn, Junko, and Radarr ran into the hall, not even noticing the stares they were given by their hosts. Piper just groaned in annoyance at their behavior.

The same guardsman then announced the final member's arrival, "Lieutenant Lark Cyclonis."

The door opened ounce more and in walked Lark. She was dressed in her uniform, freshly pressed and cleaned, with some additions. Pinned to her chest were three medals and, what appeared to be, a badge with different sections. At her waist was a sword, but not one that they had seen before. It had a gold, decorative handle, but didn't seem to have any slots for a crystal to be put. Completing the outfit was a white hat with a black peek and a gold band on the front. Above the band was the Coalition symbol, an eagle with its wings spread. They all watched as she stood at an empty seat next to Piper's, hands clasped behind her back.

With everyone now there, Harrier clapped his hands together twice, signaling the beginning of the feast. Everyone still standing took their seats. Lark removed her hat and placed it on the table. While they waited for their food to be delivered, they delved into some conversation. The Guardians were especially interested in Lark's attire to dinner.

She looked at Harrier as she answered, "It is traditional dinning attire in the Coalition military."

"What are the medals and that badge for," asked Finn.

She pointed to each in turn as she explained their meanings, "This," she said pointing at the left most medal, "Is the purple heart. It is awarded to those who were wounded in combat. The middle one is for those who fought at the Battle of Blizzaris, and the last one is a graduation medal for those who passed the academy."

They listened as she gave a detailed account as to the story behind each medal. The Purple Heart was earned by an attack on the Benson where a Cyclonian destroyer blasted a shot near her as Lark was rushing down the hall to the bridge. A piece of metal broke from the wall as a result and pierced her side. She was hospitalized for a week and then given the next week off. The medal for Blizzaris was self-explanatory as they, minus the Guardians, were all their as was the graduation medal.

The "badge" that Finn had seen earlier was identified as separate "ribbons." The ribbons were for her personal accomplishments as a Coalition officer. There was one for the Purple Heart, one for the Battle of Blizzaris, and several others.

They then asked her about her strange sword. Lark explained how it was for decoration only and wasn't even sharpened. At "sharpened" they all gave her various looks of confusion. Lark explained further about Coalition culture and history. She told of how their crystal technology wasn't the only thing they had. The Farside civilizations were far older than those of Atmos and they had to develop technologies and weapons before the power of crystals was discovered. She told of their projectile based weapons, their sharpened steel swords, and their eventual successors.

She had just finished her history lesson when the food had arrived. While the evening had started off on a good note, minus the Storm Hawks' entrance, the rest of the dinner was a complete disaster. Only Piper, Lark, and Aerrow seemed to know how to act on the occasion.

The next morning, they were riding their Skimmers towards the Airstrip for the competition of ownership of the Phoenix Crystal. They arrived to the sound of cheering fans and music playing over loudspeakers. They all saw the Guardians waving and smiling at their fans who cheered their protectors on in return.

**Unknown POV**

Unknown to most, there was a hidden spectator, watching from a special stand in silence as the two squadrons approached and stood in front of each other. They was so focused on the two teams that they nearly missed an unexpected individual, Cyclonia's former leader. The spectator's eyes narrowed as they stared at Lark. Deciding to handle the matter later, he turned back to watch the competition.

The judges gathered on a raised platform and began to announce the first event, Sky Writing. _What a useless skill. Why do they use it_, echoed through their mind as they watched the event. The Rex Guardians obviously gained the full ten points with their competitor drawing the Guardians' symbol. When the Storm Hawks started, their competitor gave the symbol of Terra Rex an _improvement_. The spectator may have been there for other reasons, and may not like the Sky Knights, but even they couldn't help but give a small chuckle at the end result.

The goose of the Guardians was made into a chicken thanks to the Storm Hawks. The judges obviously weren't impressed, even though the crowd was. They watched as the Strom Hawks were penalized and disqualified in each event due to technicalities even after fulfilling the events. The only one to gain any points was Piper by giving the Guardians "a taste of their own medicine" as she put it.

Soon enough it was time for the final event. And it went as expected. Even though the Storm Hawks clearly won the duel, technicalities were used by Harrier to convince the judges to penalize Aerrow. The spectator found this amusing as the Guardians' out-dated rules and equipment would cause their down fall.

The crowd obviously knew of the Guardians' unfair tactics and booed their protectors. Soon Harrier called out a name, _his_ name.

"Dark Ace!"

**Lark POV**

_Something's wrong her_ thought Lark as she watched the events with a critical eye. The Guardians seemed to be using technicalities to win their events, which was unusual. The Storm Hawks won only two events, Piper's thanks to her reading up on the Code and Aerrow's, who had still been penalized because of the Code. She walked towards the two squadrons, intent on getting answers as to the Guardians' behavior.

She had come close enough to hear the end of Harrier's little speech when he called a name she didn't want to hear, "Dark Ace!"

Hearing the revving of an engine, they turned and watched as a Cyclonian Skimmer stopped in front of them, kicking up a small cloud of dust. As it cleared, the Dark Ace could be seen approaching, his armored boots clanking on the ground.

"Accept this crystal to affirm our peace," said Harrier.

_What!? He made a deal with the Dark Ace!?_

Aerrow and Piper noticed Harrier's mistake as well, "You made a deal with the Dark Ace!? Are you out of your mind," shouted Aerrow in disbelief.

"I know exactly what I am doing," replied Harrier. "I am ensuring that the Cyclonians will never threaten Terra Rex."

Piper narrowed her eyes at Harrier, "That's the Dark Ace. He doesn't do Deals."

"He gave his word. He is honor-bound."

All the while, Lark was focused on her former subordinate. He just watched as they argued and smirked at Harrier's mention of honor. He soon showed his true colors as he blabbed about an invasion force. He used Harriers stunned silence to punch him hard enough to send the Sky Knight sliding across the ground.

"Thanks for the rock, Aerrow," he said smugly before flying off.

Not wasting any time, they all rushed to their Skimmers only to be stopped by guards, weapons ignited. When asked what they were doing, Harrier said that it was _their_ fight. He and the rest of the Guardians took off and followed the Dark Ace.

"Those guys are going to get smacked down _so hard_," commented Finn.

**Dark Ace POV**

He continued flying away from the terra when a crystal blast flew close to his head. Looking behind him, he saw the Guardians tailing him in a V-shaped formation.

"Bad decision," he said before turning to combat the _threat_. "Only five of you? I had better go easy," he said to himself smugly.

**Lark POV**

She and the others watched as the Dark Ace took down the squadron one by one, not even putting in an effort. Casting a glance at the guards, she saw the confident smirks of their guards diminish at sight of the terra's protectors being defeated with ease. Piper and Aerrow tried again to convince them that the Guardians needed help. A Guardian even floated downas if to emphasize their point.

The guards stepped aside, needing no further convincing. They rushed to the Skimmers, but Lark didn't get on hers immediately. She opened a compartment on the rear of hers and pulled out her purple crystal-mage's staff. Then, she too got on her skimmer. The group powered their rides and took off to join the battle. Looking to check how Harrier was doing, they saw him falling, the lines to his chute having been cut.

Aerrow caught him on his skimmer's wing, and Harrier then began to complain about them interrupting his duel.

"Ground's right there if you want off," replied Aerrow.

"Very well, we might require some…_ small_ assistance," he said disdainfully.

Radarr attached spare parachute to Harrier before getting back to his seat and watching as the Guardian was carried away by the chute. They all turned towards where they last saw the Dark Ace. Junko was the first to spot him.

"Here he comes," He warned them.

They split up to hopefully avoid the fate of the Guardians. Finn and Junko were the first to be taken out. The Dark Ace soon set his sights on Piper, firing blast after blast at her as she flew. One shot managed to graze her heli-scooter's propeller. Lark saw him readying t another shot, this time to take her out.

"Stay away from her," shouted Lark before firing several crystal blasts at him to gain his attention.

It worked. The Ace soon gave her a sneer before firing several bolts at her. Lark fired her own bolts, which collided with his causing several explosions. She expertly dodged his strikes and returned them in kind. After several minutes, a strike hit her engines. Smoke poured from one and had to be shut down, decreasing her top speed by half.

Looking in his direction, she saw him smirk as he took aim.

"Good-bye."

He never got to shoot. Aerrow had jumped onto his ride and kicked away the sword.

"Hello," said a smirking Aerrow.

The Dark Ace and he started to trade blows. Block, dodge, strike, the pattern went on for minutes before the Dark Ace grew tired of it. He pulled out the only other crystal that he had with him, the Phoenix Crystal.

"I think twice before using that," cautioned Aerrow.

The Ace only smirked in response and placed it in the clamps, "Afraid of a little heat are we?"

"Me, no, but you should be."

The Dark Ace gave a questioning glance before hearing a screech. He turned and saw the phoenix, still angry about not having its crystal. He turned back to Aerrow and glared at him intensely.

"Say "Hi" for me," said Aerrow before jumping off the Skimmer and back onto his.

They sat back and watch as the Dark Ace tried desperately to escape the bird's wrath. No matter how hard he tried, the fiery beast still followed. Lark watched in delight, hoping for him to be burned, or singed at the least. He finally wizened up and threw the crystal away, the Phoenix following its descent. As the great bird dove for the crystal, the Ace made his escape.

They all headed back for Terra Rex, meeting up with Harrier on the ground. The Guardians officially apologized about their behavior and said that they were wrong about the Storm Hawks.

"It's not over," reminded Piper. "The Cyclonians are still coming."

"We'll find away," replied Harrier.

"We could stick around," offered Aerrow.

Harrier gave them all a smile, "Terra Rex, and I, would welcome that."

Lark walked up to them and added her own voice to the conversation, "You won't fight alone. A Coalition fleet of five ships are on the way to assist you."

Everyone looked surprised at the declaration, especially the Guardians. Lark gave them a small smile and turned to leave before being stopped by Aerrow placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him and he nodded in a direction away from the others. Lark nodded and followed him into a room not far from the entrance to the strip.

When they were out of earshot, he turned to her, "I would like to know something."

At her querying glance, he continued, "Why is it that you reacted as you did with my little sister at the landing pad and with the Dark Ace?"

Lark's mind started racing at hundreds of miles a second. _What will he say? How will he react? How do I tell him? What if he tells Piper!?_ He waited patiently as she thought of an answer. She eventually just gave a small sigh of defeat. She had been caught, _again_, and by her crushes _big brother_.

Sighing again, she looked him dead in the eyes, "Can you swear to me theat what I tell you won't leave this room?"

He simply nodded. She braced herself for his reaction before drawing in a deep breath, "Iaminlovewithyoursister!"

It came out faster than he, or she, had expected. He only gave her a puzzled look before asking to repeat what she had said slowly. She did and waited for his response. Several tense minutes passed before he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up in a questioning glance before she saw his smile.

"I had a hunch about that."

Shock took its place upon her face as she stared at him. He explained how he noticed her staring at Piper each time they visited. She mentally cursed herself at being caught staring again. She looked at his still smiling face.

"You're going to have to tell her eventually you know," he said in a calm voice, "I'll support you and her if she says the she feels the same way."

He walked away and before exiting turned back to her, "If you hurt her…," he left the threat hanging as he exited the room and rejoined the others. Little did either of them know, someone was listening in on their little conversation. They ran to the guest quarters of Terra Rex, intent on telling someone of what they had heard.

**Hey all, hope you enjoyed. About Larks dress uniform, I borrowed some things from the U.S. Navy, like the cap, the sword, and the ribbons. I hope you don't mind. Continue to review.**


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